D.C. Sniper John Allen Muhammad Convicted for Six Maryland Murders

May 30, 2006

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D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad has been convicted again, this time by a Maryland jury for six murders he committed in that state.

Washington-area sniper John Allen Muhammad was convicted of six more of the killings Tuesday after a trial in which he acted as his own attorney and the prosecution’s star witness was his young protege and partner in crime, Lee Boyd Malvo. Muhammad, 45, is already under a death sentence in Virginia for a killing there. The most he can get for the six Maryland slayings is life in prison without parole.

The jury took slightly more than four hours to convict him after a four-week trial.

There is something bizarre about multiple trials for a single crime spree, especially for a man already under death sentence. It is, however, one of the quirks of our federal system with its overlapping sovereignties.

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3 responses to “D.C. Sniper John Allen Muhammad Convicted for Six Maryland Murders”

Richard Gardner

May 31, 2006 at 1:25 am

Now hopefully he can be executed (or life) on one of the 6 death sentences before the appeals on all 6 start wasting an incredible amount of money, for all 6, separately. I support no stay of execution just because one (or more) of the cases is under appeal. Waste of money, lawyers get paid.

Sorry, I was living in the area when the terror began (not terrorism implying an organized group, terror). He is a thug, and even if one of 6 gets overturned, he is still a thug.

We have deaths, no, random MURDERS, in multiple jurisdictions, MD, DC, VA. The overlap in prosecution is to ensure this scum does not escape. And we need to punish in order to deter others from doing similar illogical actions.
James Joyner

May 31, 2006 at 9:41 am

I heard on NPR this morning that Maryland is only seeking life in prison, since VA already has him under death sentence. The rationale: Much, much cheaper.